The team’s research activities are primarily focused on the development of new miniaturised analytical techniques. These include the design of micro- and nanoscale methods aimed at pre-concentration, separation, characterisation, and quantification of biologically relevant molecules such as peptides, proteins, or antibodies. These approaches also enable the study of interactions between target molecules and their biological environment. The range of developed techniques is applied to:
(i) diagnostic or therapeutic monitoring through biomarker analysis;
(ii) pharmaceutical quality control and characterisation of therapeutic proteins;
(iii) characterisation of nano-objects, including extracellular vesicles, antibody aggregates, and nanoparticles;
(iv) discovery or validation of novel disease biomarkers.

The laboratory is currently engaged in six major research areas:

• Development of innovative approaches for the isolation and characterisation of extracellular vesicles, as well as the detection of exosomal biomarkers.

• Development of methods for detecting and characterising denatured monoclonal antibodies and small aggregates.

• Development of electrokinetic and high-performance nano-liquid chromatography methods to improve the separation and detection of proteins and peptides.

• Synthesis of solid supports or monoliths for biological sample processing: enrichment, immunocapture, enzymatic digestion, etc.

• Design of droplet-based devices and new instrumental concepts (such as LEGO-CE, magneto-CE, and multimodal detection systems) for miniaturised diagnostic tools.

• Development of diagnostic tools and screening methods for therapeutic candidates targeting neurodegenerative diseases, type 2 diabetes, or specific glycosylation disorders.

• Characterisation and isolation of extracellular vesicles

• Analysis of proteins, glycoproteins, phosphoproteins, and their molecular interactions

• Electrokinetic analyses (capillary electrophoresis, analytical microsystems, electrochromatography)

• Coupling of capillary electrophoresis with mass spectrometry

• Liquid-phase chromatographic analyses (HPLC, nano-HPLC, UHPLC)

• Electrokinetic or solid-phase pre-concentration strategies (monolithic supports, immunocapture)

• Antibody immobilisation on magnetic particles

• Fluorescent labelling strategies for peptides and proteins

• Development of miniaturised analytical methods dedicated to the quality control of therapeutic proteins and/or the molecular diagnosis of diseases

• Development of microsystems and biosensors for healthcare applications

As part of the CNRS-Formation Entreprises programme, the team also organises professional formation in capillary electrophoresis

• Thi Anh Huong Nguyen, Hasara Savindi Rupasinghe, Quang Huy Nguyen, Thi Ngoc Mai Pham, Quoc Anh Hoang, Bach Pham, Trong Khoa Mai, Thi Hong Hao Le, Thi Phuong Quynh Le, Thanh Duc Mai. Quality control of fish sauce by simultaneous determination of histamine and tyramine with capillary electrophoresis and contactless conductivity detection. Journal of Food Composition and Analysis, 2025, 138, 106997. <https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jfca.2024.106997>
• Delaram Zohouri, Théo Lienard–Mayor, Sameh Obeid, Myriam Taverna, Thanh Duc Mai. A review on hyphenation of droplet microfluidics to separation techniques: from instrumental con-ception to analytical applications for limited sample volumes. Analytical Chimica Acta, 1291, 342090, 2024 <https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aca.2023.342090>
• Dong Duong Tran, Quang Khanh Nguyen, Thi Minh Trang Tran, Ngoc Bich Tran, Dieu Phuong Nguyen, Duy Tung Vu, Thi Kim Thuong Nguyen, Thanh Duc Mai, Thi Trang Vu, Thi Hong Hao Le, Thi Anh Huong Nguyen, Thi Ngoc Mai Pham, Bach Pham. Enhanced selective detection of Sudan III dye in cosmetics utilizing nitrogen-doped carbon quantum dots (NCQDs) combined with Molecularly Imprinted Polymer (MIP). Microchemical Journal, 207, 111847, 2024. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.microc.2024.111847
• Seray Ural, Joice Maria Joseph, Frank Wien, Xue Li, My-An Tran, Myriam Taverna, Claire Smadja, Ruxandra Gref R, A comprehensive investigation of the interactions of human serum albumin with polymeric and hybrid nanoparticles. Drug Delivery and Translational Research, 2024, 14(8) pp.2188-2202. <10.1007/s13346-024-01578-x>.
• Myriam Nabhan, Sylvain Meunier, Victor Le-Minh, Baptiste Robin,Marie de Bourayne, Claire Smadja, Bernard Maillère, Marc Pallardy, Isabelle Turbica. Infliximab aggregates produced in severe and mild elevated temperature stress conditions induce an extended specific CD4 T-cell response. Eur J Pharm Sci, 2024, 192, pp.106670. <10.1016/j.ejps.2023.106670>.
• Cécile Tardif, Emmanuel Jaccoulet, Jean-François Bellec, Yannick Surroca, Laurence Talbot, et al.. Imaged capillary isoelectric focusing associated with multivariate analysis: A powerful tool for quality control of therapeutic monoclonal antibodies. Talanta, 2023, 260, 124633 ; https://10.1016/j.talanta.2023.124633
• Ngoc Van Thanh, Nguyen; Claire, Smadja; Myriam, Taverna; Lac Thuy Huu, Nguyen; Stéphanie, Descroix; Thanh Duc, Mai. On-line dual-stage enrichment via magneto-extraction and electrokinetic preconcentration: A new concept and instrumentation for capillary electrophoresis. Analytica Chimica Acta, 2023 ; https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aca.2023.341141
• Sameh, Obeid; Joseph, Chamieh; Thanh Duc, Mai; Marco, Morani; Melissa Reyre; Zuzana, Krupova; Pierre, Defrenaix; Hervé, Cottet; Myriam, Taverna. Fast, simple and calibration-free size characterization and quality control of extracellular vesicles using capillary Taylor dispersion analysis. Journal of Chromatography A, 2023 ; https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chroma.2023.464189
• Otin, Joanie; Tran, N Thuy; Benoît, Aurélie; Buisson, Corinne; Taverna, Myriam.. Online large volume sample staking preconcentration and separation of enantiomeric GHRH analogs by capillary electrophoresis. Electrophoresis. 2023 ; https://doi.org/10.1002/elps.202200278
• Liénard–Mayor T, Bricteux C, Bendali A, Tran N.T, Bruneel A, Taverna M, Mai TD. Lab-in-droplet: From glycan sample treatment toward diagnostic screening of congenital disorders of glycosylation. Anal Chim Acta. 2022 ; https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aca.2022.340150
• Morani M, Taverna M, Krupova Z, Alexandre L, Defrenaix P, Mai TD. Development of a microfluidic droplet platform with an antibody-free magnetic-bead-based strategy for high through-put and efficient EVs isolation. Talanta. 2022 ; https://doi.org/10.1016/j.talanta.2022.123625
• Yang, Bin; Mai, Thanh; Tran, Nguyet Thuy; Taverna, Myriam. In capillary labeling and online electrophoretic separation of N‐glycans from glycoproteins. Journal of Separation Science. 2022 ; https://doi.org/10.1002/jssc.202200340
• N.V.T. Nguyen, C. Smadja, M. Taverna, S.E. Mouslic, E. Secret, J-M. Siaugue, L. T. H. Nguyen, T. D. Mai. Electroosmotic flow modulation for improved electrokinetic preconcentration: Application to capillary electrophoresis of fluorescent magnetic nanoparticles; Anal Chim Acta. 2021. DOI: 10.1016/j.aca.2021.338466
• Laborie E, Le-Minh V, Mai TD, Ammar M, Taverna M, Smadja C. Analytical methods of antibody surface coverage and orientation on bio-functionalized magnetic beads: application to immunocapture of TNF-α; Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry. 2021. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00216-021-03608-w
• Liénard–Mayor T, Yang B, Tran NT, Bruneel A, Guttman A, Taverna M, Mai TD. High sensitivity capillary electrophoresis with fluorescent detection for glycan mapping; Journal of Chromatography A. 2021. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chroma.2021.462593
• Morani M, Mai TD, Krupova Z, Defrenaix P, Multi E, Riekkola M-L, Taverna M. Electrokinetic characterization of extracellular vesicles with capillary electrophoresis: A new tool for their identification and quantification. Anal Chim Acta. 2020 ; DOI : 10.1016/j.aca.2020.06.073
• Liénard–Mayor T, Furter J, Taverna M, Pham HV, Hauser P, Mai TD. Modular instrumentation for capillary electrophoresis with laser induced fluorescence detection using plug-and-play microfluidic, electrophoretic and optic modules. Anal Chim Acta. 2020 ; DOI : 10.1016/j.aca.2020.08.025
• Shao H, Reider B , Jarvas G, Guttman A, Jiang Z, Tran NT, Taverna M. On-line enrichment of N-glycans by immobilized metal-affinity monolith for capillary electrophoresis analysis. Anal Chim Acta. 2020 ; DOI : 10.1016/j.aca.2020.08.002
• Rouby G, Tran NT, Leblanc Y, Taverna M, Bihoreau N. Investigation of monoclonal antibody dimers in afinal formulated drug by separation techniquescoupled to native mass spectrometry. MABS. 2020 ; DOI : 10.1080/19420862.2020.1781743
• Nguyen NVT, Taverna M, Smadja C, Mai TD. Recent electrokinetic and microfluidic strategies for detection of amyloid beta peptide biomarkers: towards molecular diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease. Chemicals Records. 2020 ; DOI : 10.1002/tcr.202000103
• Rossi E, Tran N.T, Hirtz C, Lehmann S, Taverna M. Efficient extraction of intact HSA-Aß peptide complexes from sera: Toward albuminome biomarker identification. Talanta. 2020 ; DOI : 10.1016/j.talanta.2020.121002
• Le-Minh V,Halgand F, Van der Rest G, Taverna M, Smadja C. Conformation assessment of therapeutic monoclonal antibodies by SEC-MS: unravelling analytical biases for application to quality control. Journal of Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Analysis. 2020 ; DOI : 10.1016/j.jpba.2020.113252

Chapitres de livres

• Araya-Farias M., Dziomba S., Tran N.T. “Microfluidic strategies for extraction and preconcentration of proteins and peptides (chap 3)” In Handbook on Miniaturization in Analytical Chemistry, First Edition, Ed Elsevier, 2020
• Yoo Y.E., Smadja C., Ammar M, “Micro/Nano Fabrication and Packaging Technologies for Bio Systems” (Chap 3), In Engineering of Micro/Nano Biosystems: Fundamentals and Applications Ed Springer, 2020
• François Y.N., Marie A-L., Ruel C., Gahoual R., Tran N.T., Taverna M., “Capillary electrophoresis coupled to mass spectrometry as a powerful tool to investigate heterogeneities, conformers and oligomers of intact proteins” (chap 5) In Advances in Chromatography series (Vol. 56), Ed Taylor & Francis, 2019
• Marie A-L., Rouby G., Jaccoulet E., Smadja C., Tran N.T., Taverna M. “Capillary electrophoresis for the quality control of intact theraoeutic Monoclonal antibodies” (chapter 9, 40 pages) In capillary electrophoresis: trends abd development in pharmaceutical Research, Ed Pan Stanford, 2017
• Marie A-L., Tran N.T., Taverna M., “Characterization of Chemical and Physical Modifications of Human Serum Albumin by Capillary Zone Electrophoresis” in Capillary Electrophoresis of Proteins and Peptides: Methods and Protocols, Springer Protocols, Methods in Molecular Biology 1466, 2016.
• Jaccoulet E., Smadja C., Taverna M., “Quality Control of Therapeutic Monoclonal Antibodies at the Hospital After Their Compounding and Before Their Administration to Patients” in Capillary Electrophoresis of Proteins and Peptides: Methods and Protocols, Springer Protocols, Methods in Molecular Biology 1466, 2016.

Edition de livres

“Capillary Electrophoresis of proteins and peptides” in Methods in Molecular Biology series, Methods and protocols, Tran N.T., Taverna M. (Eds), 2016, vol 1466
“Advances in Extracellular Vesicle Analysis” in Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry, Alexandre L., Sun J., Taverna M., Zhong W., 2023, vol 415, number 7

OBEID Sameh
ALEXANDRE Lucile
ARAYA FARIAS Monica
MAI Thanh Duc
GARCIA CORTES Marta
GALLAND Claire
DZIOMBA Szymon